Now you can ask our very own expert your burning boutique related questions. Who's the Modiste? Now that is a mystery - we may reveal it someday!

Q) My mom and I are wanting to get started on making little girls outfits. We noticed that some outfits sell for over $100 and then see some that are very similar that are only selling for $20. We were wondering if you had any advice on what we should do to get to that point where we are making over $100 an outfit.
Thanks!
Kassy

A) MODISTE: Often a new designer will come onto the scene thinking that this is an easy way to make money. Unfortunately this is not the case. If you do a random search on eBay for Custom Girls items, there are currently 291 listings. Of those 291 listings 2 have been bid up over $100, so you see the margin of those designers who make over $100 is small. Currently it is 1%.

eBay is experiencing a slow time right now, often you will see many more listings for Custom Girls items, and often there will be more than just 2 items that have been bit up over $100. One thing that remains consistent however is the designer(s) who is making this amount.

The designer who is bringing in a higher dollar amount for her clothing, is the designer who has been on eBay for a number of years. The designer who has an established client base, the designer who always has a number of listings running at any given time. Many of these designers belong to one of the more elite boutique design groups such as StudioE, Gallerybay, ODOD, IvyLane, or Lilyplum. There are other great groups, but these are the ones that consistently sell well. These groups typically recruit new membership rather than have an open application.

For someone who is new to Custom Boutique clothing on eBay, I reccomend a few things. 1, be original...be different. If you are trying to emulate your favorite eBay designer, take insperation from their work but ultimately make it your own. Buyers notice when someone new comes on the scene and is simply making what someone else is already making. The designer who is sucessfull is the designer who is always pushing the envelope, always one step ahead of the game whether it is with new design concepts or unique and interesting fabric, just dare to be different. 2, Always have a few custom items listed. The only way you can get noticed is if you have listings. People can't find what isnt' out there. 3, Be persistent. Even when it seems that things aren't going well, keep listing. Many established designers will tell you that for them the turning point was between 12 and 18 months. Nothing worth having comes easily. The designer who is sucessfull works long and hard to build up a name for herself through repeat business and top notch customer service. The appearance and packaging of your product is just as important as the product itself. As a designer creates and established customer base, they in turn drive her prices up as the old supply and demand rule applies. 4, Advertise. If you want your business to suceed, you need to invest in it. Create a mailing list is a great way to start. There are also many high traffic boutique websites that offer banner advertising at affordable prices. Right here on Journal Modiste is a great place to start. There is also Boutique Cafe, Boutique Runway, The Designing Minds Weblog just to name a few.

A designer can not just come onto the scene and expect to make $100 or more a set. Most designers will never see $50 a set, and you have to ask yourself if you are okay with that. Many of the deisgners who are considered sucessful don't make $100 a set. I would say that the average is between $25 & $50. Most of the designers on eBay do this as a hobby and becuase it is something that they love to do. If you feel like this is something that you can do, then just keep plugging away, eventually you will see it pay off.

Regards
The Modiste

Now you can ask our very own expert your burning boutique related questions. Who's the Modiste? Now that is a mystery - we may reveal it someday!

Q) To start, what a great website. I am considering making OOAK kids clothes and selling on ebay. I have things made and would like to get started but don't know how to go about checking to make sure that I don't use another designers name without knowing it. Do you have any suggestions on how to check for this? Thanks for the help! -Nancy

A) the MODISTE: Hi Nancy,

There are a couple of things you can do. If you plan to sell on eBay as well, I would just reccomend doing a title and description search of the name you are considering. Also check completed listings. If that comes up with nothing, then I would do a domain search for the name you have in mind. For instance say you were wanting to use "Sweet Baby Boutique" I would search www.sweetbabyboutique.com and see if anything comes up. If that also brings up nothing then things are looking good. If you are just planning on selling on eBay as a hobby, this should be sufficient. If you are planning on making this a home based business then from there you can check with your local of state business registry. When you go to set up your Tax ID and business name, a search will be done automatically to ensure that you do not register the same name as another business in your state and/or for the entire USA.

If you are just planning on selling on eBay and per chance you do end up choosing a name that is the same or very similar to another user, someone will let you know I am sure. eBay is a large community and sometimes it is difficult to determine whether or not a name has been taken by another person. It has happened before, and I am sure it will happen again. Most eBayers are pretty friendly and will let you know politely that there is already someone out there with your name. There is only so much you can do to find out, and if all the above avenues have been exhausted and you have not found anyone else with the same name I would go ahead and use it.

Best of Luck to you
Regards
The Modiste

Now you can ask our very own expert your burning boutique related questions. Who's the Modiste? Now that is a mystery - we may reveal it someday!

Q:) I am interested in getting my designer childrens clothing on JM. I have been designing with my mom for about 2yrs. and we have sold in little shops around our hometown.. I have put a few things on ebay but have not gotten much response.. Can you please help me in getting or how to get into a group??

A)There are a few keys to success in Custom Boutique on eBay. There are many many groups on eBay. Some are open chat groups, some are designer groups. I would reccomend requesting a membership into a couple of the chat groups, that will get your foot in the door, as well as expose you to other designers and buyers with intrests similar to your own. These can be found by doing a search in the eBay Community Groups section. There is also an eBay forum dedicated to Custom/Handmade items. This is another fun resource in which to meet others and have fun and chat.

When it comes to design groups, most have closed memberships and recruit when they see a designer that they like. Occasionally some will have an open call for membership, but not all too often. If you see a group that you like, contact a member and find out what becoming a member would entail, some are happy to accept membership applications, while some take new members strictly by recruiting them on their own.

If you are really looking to get serious in selling Custom Boutique on eBay, there is deffinitely room to make a modest income. I wouldn't expect to be making high dollar amounts right out of the gate, but with persistence, and continuous listing, I often hear form designers that they begin to see a real noticable change during the 12-18 month period. This is 12-18 months of constistent listing. Persistence is really key, and not becoming discouraged. For so many businesses that first year is extremely important, and surviving it is a milestone to be celebrated.

Another important aspect in being noticed on eBay is being different. The market is currently flooded with custom boutique items, and in order to set yourself apart from the hundreds of others selling the same things, you need to be unique, you need to find something you love and make it yours, this is when buyers, designers, and groups take notice.

I also highly reccomend setting up a mailing list. Bravenet has a great system, or you can just set your own up through your personal email program. In my opinion having a mailing list is number one in importance, and advertising runs a close second. I know that a lot of advertising is not in the budget for many new designers, but if you can squeeze it out at all, I would deffinitely reccomend some sort of advertising. There are numerous sites out there dedicated to the Custom Boutique community, and many of them offer banner ads for a small weekly or monthly fee. Even if you can only afford a week, I would deffinitely reccoemend it. You can sign up for banner ads here at Journal Modiste: Get your banner ad here...

If you can do something that will set yourself apart form the others, then people can't help but notice. Being noticed is what leads to success on eBay.

Best of luck to you, and I wish you much success on eBay. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

The Modiste

Now you can ask our very own expert your burning boutique related questions. Who's the Modiste? Now that is a mystery - we may reveal it someday!

Q:) I am in the market for a new Camera, what do you recommend?

A) Purchasing a new Camera is a lot like purchasing a new sewing machine. It is not a decision to be made lightly. Often people think that the camera makes the photo, when in fact it is quite the opposite. The photographer makes the photo. With the recent movement into DSLR's there is a lot to take into consideration. The first is what kind of pictures are you taking, and what kind of photographer are you. If you are a hobby photographer, you like the ease of auto settings, and are looking to get good quality photographs without having to expend a lot of time and energy to get them, then you are probably in the market for a Point and Shoot Camera.

Don't be too hasty to dismiss the point and shoot, they are getting better and better by the day, and there are some wonderful photographers out there who use a point and shoot camera. These are great if you are chasing around a busy child, you are looking for something that you won't have to purchase a bunch of accessories for, or if you are looking for something fairly compact and easy to pack around. Shutter Lag is often an issue with point and shoot cameras, for this reason you will want to try a few out. You want to see if the shutter lag is something you can live with. Though improving with every new model, it does still exist, and I find often with a point and shoot, you have the perfect shot, but by the time the shutter releases it is gone. Over time you get attuned to predicting shutter lag and it is quite easy to recover from it and get your great shots. If you are looking to learn about your camera, the settings and why the settings do what they do, then a DSLR may be right up your alley.

If you are in the market for a DSLR, just as with any large purchase, don't run out and buy the first one that appears to be a great deal. There are many great contenders in the DSLR category, the 2 most popular and well known conterners are Canon and Nikon. Following close at their tails is Olympus with their E-Volt, then trailing at the end is Pentax with their *ist. There are a few more brands that market a DSLR, but these are the ones that I think are considered mainstream. I would recommend picking up a few good consumer magazines and doing a side by side comparison.

Another great resource is the internet. It is fairly easy to find a great number of reviews on the Canon and Nikon cameras, there is a lot about the Olympus, but you will have to do a little legwork to find anything regarding the Pentax, but it IS out there, you just have to look for it. There are a number of photography forums on the internet available to answer any questions and to do some comparisons be it for DSLR or point and shoot. Many DSLR shooters own more than one brand and also have point and shoot so they can often give you their own side by side comparison. On these forums you will also find great resources for purchasing the camera you desire, as well as resources on where not to purchase from.

My final recommendation is to visit a few retailers and hold, touch and feel each of the cameras that you are considering. Determine for yourself what feels the best in your hands, what is a good fit for you. Whether you are planning on purchasing a Point and Shoot or a DSLR you will still want to make your own comparisons. Once you narrow down your decision, then it is time to start price hunting. Stick with Reputable sellers, places you know you can trust, and check their sales regularly. You won't often find any deep discounts on DSLR's but if you shop around you can quite easily save yourself a hundred or two.

How much should you be willing to spend for a DSLR?? The Pentax *ist DL retails at a popular online pro photography store for $569 USD, this includes an 18-55mm kit lenses, from there the sky is the limit. Remember when purchasing a DSLR, most do not come with batteries or a memory card so you need to factor that cost into your budget. With a DSLR you wouldn't want anything smaller than a 1GB memory card. This will get you up and running, but in the DSLR market there are endless options for accessories and add ons.

The bottom line on Cameras is whatever you choose, get to know your camera inside and out in order to be able to take the best pictures possible. The photographer makes the Camera, the camera does not make the photographer.

If you have a question for our modiste, feel free to email her. Your question may be published here. I want to Ask the Modiste

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Now you can ask our very own expert your burning boutique related questions. Who's the Modiste? Now that is a mystery - we may reveal it someday!

Q:)I am in the market for a new sewing machine / serger. Where should I look?

A) When one is in the market for a new sewing machine, there are a number of things to consider. Don't be too hasty to jump on the first good deal that comes along. The first thing you need to take into consideration is the amount of sewing that you do. If you are a casual seamstress, sewing mainly for your own family and maybe the occasional outfit to sell, then a basic model without a lot of bells and whistles will probably suit your needs, if you sew daily, or as a business, then something a little meatier may be in the books for you.

There are a number of places to seek out your new machine, the most readily available being the larger chain departments stores. Although they may sell a brand name machine at a discounted price, my personal preference is to seek out a couple of Authorized dealers where you can sit down and test drive your next machine. There is so much out there to choose from that it can seem overwhelming at first. The benefit of using an authorized dealer is that you have someone who is an expert in the machine you want, they often have service technicians in store should any problems arise, and they also often offer free lessons on using your new machine. In addition to the free lessons a lot of dealers will also have sewing classes of various levels, from beginner to advanced and everything in between.

If you choose a chain department store, and you run into a problem with your machine, you often will have to send your machine off to the manufacturer to be fixed, sometimes taking weeks or months to return. Dealers will also often offer a trade in value on any new machine you purchase. This is especially beneficial if you are new to sewing and you do not want to purchase the top of the line model right off the mark. If 6 months down the road you decide that you want a better model many dealers will offer a trade in allowance of up to 100% of the value of your current machine. I wish that I had gone this route when I purchased my first machines.

My biggest recommendation is to buy the BEST machine that your budget will allow. I personally have purchased both a department store machine, and a higher end dealer machine, and I have to say that had I purchased an entry level machine from a dealer, I probably wouldn't have been so fast to upgrade. With my newer machine, I find sewing far more enjoyable, quicker, and easier than on my starter machine. I find that I look forward to sewing daily, things just tend to run smoother. That said, I had NO idea what I was missing out on until I bought my new machine. Happy Hunting!!